


Different

by distanceseventeen



Series: Disintegration [1]
Category: Deltarune (Video Game)
Genre: Asriel is the Original Fluffy Boy, But then this idea kicked down my door, Chocolate Theft, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Growing Up, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I have like 5 WIPs I should be working on, Kris is a sweet bean, Neurodivergent Kris, Parent-Child Relationship, This Is The Fluff Before Everything Goes To Hell, and forced me to write this at gunpoint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-27 14:08:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16703908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/distanceseventeen/pseuds/distanceseventeen
Summary: “Mom?” Kris asked. “When are my horns going to grow in?”It took a moment for the question to register with Toriel. It was an innocently asked question, with no sort of consternation behind it, which was good, but even so, it gave her pause.





	1. Questions and Stolen Chocolate

**Author's Note:**

> It’s literally 1 AM where I live and I’m going to continue working on the following chapter probably until three AM, but whatever. I was thinking about Toriel’s line about the headband with little horns and the idea for this fic burst into my brain with gun’s blazing.

Late-afternoon sunlight slanted through the windows. It illuminated the small living room with a soft, diffuse light, painting it with shades of gold. The blue skies of summer had not yet given way to the more cloudy weather of fall, although the leaves were just beginning to turn, and the weather was warm and gorgeous. Toriel let out a contented sigh. Her chair was perfectly positioned in the puddle of sunlight, the exact angle for reading. She could stay here like this all evening. The book in her lap was especially engaging. It was a recent publication by Gerson Boom, on the history of humans and monsters. She’d never thought he could write like this. Then again, the old man had always been a fantastic storyteller.

She looked up when Kris approached her chair. Her child’s face was not very emotive, as usual, but Toriel thought she recognized the expression. They had something important to say. She smiled warmly at them. “What is it, honey?”

“Mom?” Kris asked. “When are my horns going to grow in?”

It took a moment for the question to register with Toriel. It was an innocently asked question, with no sort of consternation behind it, which was good, but even so, it gave her pause. Surely Kris would know already that they were not...

Well, no. No, they would not. Nobody had yet explained to them that they were adopted, or that they were human. Kris was only five; it seemed inevitable that only now they would start noticing the differences between their family and themself. Toriel found herself wishing that she did not have to explain it already. They were still quite young. 

“Well, honey,” she said, putting her book down and lowering her reading glasses. How to approach this? “You know that not every monster is the same, correct?”

They nodded, eyes down, shadowed under their long and messy bangs. Their rosy cheeks had a smudge of mud on them from gardening outside with Asriel and Asgore. Toriel licked her thumb and wiped it off. Kris squirmed under the touch, but let her.

“For instance, you know Noelle. She looks very different from our family. She does not have claws or fangs, and she has hooves instead of feet. And then there’s Jockington from down the road, who has scales and no arms or legs. Not everyone turns out the same. Everyone is unique and special in their own way. And although you will not grow horns, I believe you are the most special of all, my child.”

Toriel thought she had delivered a heartwarming enough pep talk, but instead, Kris pulled up the collar of their sweater, biting down with small, square teeth. No fangs, unlike the rest of the family. Their voice was a mumble when it came. “—don’t wanna be special. Don’t wanna be different.”

“Kris, I cannot hear you like that.”

They slowly pulled their sweater down, fingers remaining gripped in the soft knit. Their brows were scrunched up on their forehead. “I wanna be like Azzy.”

Toriel began to understand. Asriel had started complaining that the top of his head hurt last week. Knowing what it meant, Asgore had sat him down and told him about what to expect growing up. His horns weren’t visible through his fur quite yet, still growing in, but he likely told Kris about why he’d required ice packs and pain medication through the last weeks. Naturally they would wonder about growing horns as well.

“I know you do, honey. You love him very much. But people can be different and still love one another.”

Kris shook their head. “No,” they said, louder. They seemed unable to completely articulate their emotions. It made Toriel’s heart hurt. Every adopted child had problems like these, most likely, but even still, explaining that Kris would never be like their family physically seemed like a cruelty. She had seen the way they stood apart from other children during play dates. Part of that was due to their pranks and general odd behavior, but it seemed a shame to Toriel that her second child had almost no friends. They did not need to feel isolated within their own family.

She contemplated them for a moment, opting for distraction. She had no idea how to make them feel better about this. It made her feel like a failure as a mother, but there it was. “Would you like to go back outside and garden more with Azzy and Dad?”

Kris shook their head. “I want _horns_ ,” they declared, on the verge of tears. “Not gardening.”

“Oh, my child,” Toriel murmured. She reached for them, intending to hug them, but they hissed at her, darting away. Little feet pounded upstairs. Toriel heard a door slam. She sighed, rubbing her forehead. She loved Kris very much, but they were definitely a challenge to parent. With Asriel’s soccer games to attend and the various challenges with starting teaching she had on a day-to-day basis, not to mention the family’s financial issues or the parasites plaguing Asgore’s flowers, she wasn’t sure she had time to deal with a five-year-old’s existential crisis. She hoped they would soon get over it naturally. Knowing her child’s temperament, however, Kris most likely would hold onto it for some time. 

Asgore came in not long after, laughing, Asriel on his shoulders. “Look what we have here, Tori!”

In his hands was a basket of golden flowers, overflowing with pollen and rich scents. She smiled. “Are we going to make our own tea again?”

“Yep,” Asriel chirped. “Remember last year? That was fun.”

Asgore laughed. He put the basket down on the table. “If you call nearly setting the house on fire ‘fun.’”

“I told you not to use that dehydrating gadget without consulting the manual,” Toriel scolded, but she couldn’t help smiling at her husband and son. As chaotic occurrences often do, over time, it had been transmuted into a fond memory. “You shouldn’t have been so _shocked_ with what happened.”

Asgore laughed again, the mirthful rumble echoing through the small house. “Good one.”

Toriel got up and helped Asriel down off Asgore’s shoulders. She patted his head. “Why don’t you go find that old machine, honey? I think it is in the storage closet.”

“Okay!” Asriel trotted off, cheerful.

Toriel turned to her husband. “Kris is upset,” she said, much quieter. “They asked me if their horns were going to grow in, and they became very upset when I told them that they would not.”

He frowned, amiable concern written all over his face. “And why didn’t you tell them that they would soon get them? They are still very young, Tori.”

“I do not want to tell our child lies, Asgore. They deserve to know the truth.”

“But surely a small lie wouldn’t be so bad, if the real answer upsets them so much. It would be more... putting off the truth until they’re ready to know it.”

Toriel gave him a look. “And what kind of example would that set for our children?” she asked, folding her arms. “I do not like it either, but they must know the truth.” 

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, avoiding her gaze. “I will go find them.”

***

Dad found them under his and Mom’s bed, eating Mom’s chocolate kisses.

Kris wasn’t supposed to eat the chocolate, of course. The chocolate belonged to Mom, and only Mom. But Kris knew where she kept the candy in her dresser drawer, and though it was naughty, they snuck in every once in a while to steal a few chocolates. They never told their big brother. Some things were better kept secret and safe. Besides, they didn’t really like telling people things. Other people would be confused, and ask questions Kris didn’t understand, and in the case of one especially horrible adult, hold Kris’ chin and make Kris look him in the eye. Kris had bitten him after the third time he did this. There had been Talks and Meetings and You Aren’t Supposed To Do That, Kris, You Aren’t An Animal chats afterwards. Kris was starting to suspect that they were bad. Not terrible-bad, not evil-villain-bad, but the kind of bad that made people shake their heads. The kind that made people cluck, _what an interesting child._ Bad like a broken-down fence. No matter what, someone will get splinters.

“Kris?” Dad’s hand lifted the skirt of the bed, and then he was looking in on them. They were sprawled on their stomach, laying down flat on the carpet, mouth full of chocolate. The space in front of them was covered in a veritable army of silver wrappers. Kris resented the soft look on his face when he saw the tear tracks down their cheeks. Dad always got so mushy every time he saw one of the kids was crying. “Oh, Kris.”

Kris swallowed the chocolate and bared their not-fangs, scuttling backwards on their elbows and knees. They were very good at doing that. They had years of practice from playing games with Asriel. It took very little time before they were on the opposite end of the bed from Dad, chocolate bag safely in their arms. In defiance of that soft look, they grabbed another piece. Unwrapping it proved to be tricky.

“Kris,” Dad said. “Those aren’t your chocolates.”

They popped the unwrapped piece in their mouth and chewed. Tasty.

“Come here, sweetheart. We can talk this out.”

“No,” they said around the chocolate. A sniff forced its way out of their nose, and that made them scowl. They wiped their nose. 

“At least... pass me one of those chocolates?” He tried for a smile.

Kris considered. Grudgingly, they extracted a chocolate kiss from the bag and tossed it at him. It landed with a soft thud on the carpet. 

He accepted it. Kris watched as he repositioned himself so he was lying on the carpet. Stomach down, not side down — his horns would get in the way. He rested on his elbows as he unwrapped the chocolate and ate it. The candy looked absolutely tiny in his fingers.

“So,” Dad said. “Your mother tells me you’re upset.”

Kris didn’t say anything. Their throat felt tight. To unblock it, they added another piece of chocolate. It helped some.

“You know,” Dad said conversationally, “when I was little, I used to wish I could run like the other kids did. I was a sickly little one, so every time I tried, I would end up needing my inhaler. Other kids would play other games of chasing and running and tackling, but not me. I watched from the sidelines. I felt alone a lot as a child. I didn’t think I could do anything right.”

Kris didn’t feel any need to reply. They watched the softness on his face turn to something... different. They weren’t sure what it actually was.

“I eventually found something I felt like I belonged with, though. I learned how to grow flowers. I loved digging in the soil, watering plants, trimming them and planting them into beautiful arrangements. I could not run, and I could not fit in with others, but I didn’t need to. I had something I was good at. And I found lots of friends eventually. You do not need to be like everyone else to be valuable.”

He went quiet. Kris thought he was waiting for something, but they weren’t quite sure. People sometimes... wanted things. They grasped that fairly well, but what it was people wanted often escaped them. Different things. Sometimes people wanted Kris to talk. Sometimes they wanted Kris to stay silent. Sometimes Kris would say or do something wrong, and it seemed like they would never learn why it was wrong, exactly. Maybe that was the source of their badness. They unwrapped another chocolate.

Dad simply watched them. “Do you feel different from Asriel and your mother and I, Kris?”

They nodded. “I don’t like it.” Their voice was all crackly from crying. It sort of hurt. “I look really different from all of you.”

There was more, but the words didn’t come easily. _It is hard for them to express their thoughts,_ Mom often explained to adults while Kris clung to her hand. _You have to be patient. Kris is a special child._

Kris was extremely tired of hearing that phrase.

“And how does that make you feel?” Dad coaxed.

“Bad,” they whispered. Another tear rolled down their cheek. They fidgeted with the wrapper in their hands. They wanted to take another chocolate, but their stomach didn’t feel stable anymore.

He nodded. “I thought that might be the case. I promise you, we do not love you or appreciate you any less for being different. You’re still you, and we love you very much.”

“But would you love me different if I wasn’t me?”

That made him blink. “What do you mean?”

“If I wasn’t me. If I was a different person. Would you love me?”

He thought for a while. Kris waited, the rough carpet scratchy against their elbows and knees. They tore the wrapper into little silver pieces. Like confetti or something. Their throat clicked when they swallowed. It still felt sore, and the tear tracks on their cheeks were drying into salt. It made their skin feel taut, so they scrubbed at their cheeks with the back of their hands.

“I love you because you are my child,” Dad finally said. “And I will always love you. Do not doubt that.”

That seemed like a satisfactory answer, although there was something wrong with it. Kris couldn’t figure out why, though. They didn’t have the words or ideas to cut to the center of that issue, so they simply nodded. The floor pressed against their chest made their heartbeat seem tense and immediate. They wanted to get out. Squirming forward, they pushed the chocolate bag at Dad. “Don’t tell Mom,” they ordered.

His mouth widened in a gentle smile. “Promise.”


	2. Clouds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who left kudos!! I’m astounded at how many people liked this so far. This chapter is fairly short, but I’m busy working on more right now. Thanks.

Asgore’s feet crunched on the few leaves scattered in front of the store. It was a nice day, although the cloud cover above promised rain later. Few cars were on the road. Most people were at work at this time, although it was noon, so a few people were out getting lunch. He waved at the people he saw passing by. 

“Hey, Asgore,” the shopkeeper greeted him. “You here for more gardening supplies for your shop?”

“Howdy. No, I am just doing some shopping. Toriel asked me to pick up some things before breakfast tomorrow. I decided to use my lunch break to do so.” He looked around the small store, with the neat aisles of various items, and drew a folded square of paper from his pocket. Milk, eggs, bread, sugar, a few other items.

“Mm. Well, we just got our shipment of Halloween stuff in, so go ahead and check it out.”

“I will. Thank you.”

It seemed strange to him how early people began preparing for holidays. It was still a month and a half away from Halloween; would it not make more sense to wait a little longer until October started? Then again, the children loved the holiday. Perhaps preparing them would heighten the excitement when the day arrived. 

Asgore smiled as he remembered his children’s excitement over Halloween last year. Asriel had been ecstatic over his pirate costume, practicing an atrocious accent for weeks. Kris had been a mummy, and although the costume was meant to be scary, he couldn’t help but find his child absolutely adorable in it. Both children were so cute together, running down the streets in search of candy, shrieking at passers by. They were exhausting, of course. But Asgore always loved seeing their smiles. 

Pulling himself out of the fond memory, Asgore placed a loaf of bread into his basket and consulted his list again. That was everything, but perhaps he should buy Toriel some more chocolates. Kris had depleted her supply, after all. He checked the Halloween aisle. Sure enough, candy themed with bats and ghosts was well-stocked on the shelves. He grabbed a small bag of chocolate and turned to leave, but something caught his eye on the floor. A small headband, he realized upon further inspection. A pair of red horns protruded from the top. It seemed to have fallen off a shelf.

He bent over and picked it up. It had a price tag on it, so it clearly belonged to the shop, but the fabric was dusty from being on the floor. He did his best to wipe it off with clumsy hands. It was small. Perfect for a child.

Perfect for Kris.

Asgore placed it in his basket. He had an enormous smile as he brought the basket to the counter and waited for the shopkeeper to ring up his purchases. It was such a small thing, but after the fuss Kris made last night, he wanted to give his child something that made them feel like they belonged. They mattered so, so much to him. 

“You seem to be in a good mood today,” the shopkeeper noted as he handed the money over. “Good news?”

He shook his head, smiling. “No. It’s just a lovely day.”

“It is, isn’t it? Perfect weather for a nice walk, even if it’s gonna rain later. Well, have a good one.”

He thanked them with a nod and accepted his basket back. The fresh air outside was starting to turn heavy with promises of rain. It seemed they would have to cancel Asriel’s soccer game today, which was a shame. He would have liked to see Asriel play. And Asgore loved seeing how involved Toriel and Kris got in cheering Asriel on. Whether it was a win or a loss, it was always fun to have the entire family involved in the sport. 

He glanced into his basket again, smile returning. Even if Asriel’s game was postponed, it was all right with him. Kris needed a little bit of time in the spotlight. He knew giving them the headband wouldn’t solve everything, but it would at least ease their pain until they were old enough to understand. That was more than enough for him.

A cheerful hum rumbled up in his chest as he headed home. He decided to leave the headband on Kris’ bed. Maybe he should write a little note for them. They would like that. 

He hoped, anyway.


	3. Thunderstorm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD 100 KUDOS. Thank you so much everyone!!!  
> This is the last chapter I had planned to write, but if I think of anything else, I might write it. I dunno. Anyway, thank you so, so much for reading! :)
> 
> Edit: Yes, I’m adding edits after it’s already up. I thought of new things and noticed some mistakes. Sorry.  
>  ~~also I really liked the idea of Asriel and Kris having OCs that they played with in their little games~~

“I hate rain,” Kris sulked. They were lying on the floor next to the kitchen table, watching Asriel work on his homework and chewing on a candy necklace. They looked thoroughly bored.

Asriel glanced down at them. It was the first thing they’d said to him unprompted since they arrived home from school. “Why? Rain’s fun. You can splash in puddles and stuff.”

They scrunched up their face. Thread was still strung between their teeth, which made it difficult to understand what they were saying. “It gets all dark outside. And your clothes get all wet.”

“The dark isn’t so bad. And we were okay walking home from school with our umbrellas, right?”  
Normally, Mom would give them a ride, but a situation came up, and she had to stay a little longer talking to parents. Asriel thought Kris might have bitten someone again, but he wasn’t sure. He hadn’t asked them. From experience, he knew they would probably clam up. They already seemed a little upset today, and Asriel didn’t want to make it worse.

They just shuddered. Outside, the rain tapped at the windows, as if asking for admittance. Wind howled every so often. No thunderclaps, which was good. Kris tended to freak out every time there was thunder and lightning outside. Asriel kind of liked the world when it was like this, all dark and mysterious. All the house needed was a dramatic soundtrack. Then they could be fighting off dragons and going on a grand quest. They could turn off all the lights and have an adventure in the dark. 

He had to finish his homework first, though. He was the older sibling; he needed to set an example. Tongue poking out between his teeth, he multiplied a few numbers and scrawled down the answer onto his worksheet. Almost done.

His concentration was broken a minute later when a thunderclap pealed outside. Kris yelped like a wounded animal and scooted under the table, hands clamped over their ears. Asriel flinched. Looks like a thunderstorm did show up after all. He’s glad his soccer game got canceled. He would hate playing in this weather.

Asriel peeked under the table. “You okay?”

They shook their head. Their eyes were huge and round with fear under their messy fringe of bangs. “I don’t like it.”

“Aw, the thunder isn’t gonna get you, Kris. The chances of lightning striking you are like one in five billion.” He nudged them with a foot. “You’re safe.”

Kris just kept shaking their head. “Nooo.”

Another round of thunder made him flinch and Kris shriek. Asriel sighed. He pushed his chair away from the table and crawled under with them. He put his arms around his younger sibling. “Hey, it’s okay, see? Everything’s fine.” 

He started combing his fingers through their hair, careful not to accidentally scratch them with his claws. They usually calmed down when someone played with their hair. Kris squirmed a bit in his arms, not taking their hands off their ears, but they didn’t resist the hug. He could feel their heart racing.

“Pretend we’re hidden in a cave,” Asriel told them. “And we’re waiting for the rain to let up so we can go talk to the man in the moon. The king of the sky called down the thunderstorm to scare us, but he can’t stop us. We’re the heroes that are going to save the world.”

Another thunderclap made them flinch, but he could see that they were listening to him. He kept combing their hair. “It’s been a long journey, but we’re not going to give up. We have a world to save. Right now, we’re storing our strength and getting ready for our greatest battle. The cave is dry. There’s a campfire with meat roasting over it.”

“Is there anyone with us?” Kris asked. “The tree monarch?”

“Sure, and the god of hyperdeath, too. He’s sharpening his rainbow swords and getting ready to fight. The tree monarch is eating moss to unlock xir greatest powers.”

They giggled. “That’s silly, Azzy.”

He poked their side, smiling. If they were talking, that was a good sign. Kris didn’t usually talk much if they felt upset. “That’s what xe does. It’s xir power. You can’t change it.”

They shook their head. The storm still raged outside, but he could hear a smile in their voice when they spoke. “Yeah I can. Tree monarch! Stop eating moss!”

“Xe says xe doesn’t want to. You’re gonna get bean sprouts in your shoes if you don’t stop bugging the tree monarch. Xe’s extra powerful because of all the moss xe ate.”

Kris laughed, headbutting his chest. “Nooooo.”

“Oh yeah. Absolutely,” he laughed.

Kris’ tone changed a little. “Am I a monster in this game?”

“Uh, yeah. If you want to be. Why?”

“I don’t wanna be different from you. I don’t like it.” 

Asriel could tell from the tone of their voice that something was wrong, but he didn’t want to press the issue. They were fine pretending to be a monster, as far as he was concerned. It would make the game more fun. He finished combing their hair and gave them a little squeeze. “Let’s go get our toys so we can play the game better.”

“Okay,” Kris agreed. They followed him out from under the table. Another thunderclap made them flinch again, but they didn’t let his hand go. The storm seemed much louder upstairs. It was like a big beast was waiting outside, poised to tear the house off from its foundations. Asriel may or may not have been slightly scared at that thought.

He was a brave big kid, though, so he raised his voice. “Bad thunderstorm! Stop it or I’m gonna kick your butt! I’m the prince of the underworld, and me and my little sibling are the most powerful people on the planet!”

He tugged Kris into their room and clicked the light on. The room was a little messy from the last game he and Kris played, but it was okay. He went straight to the toy chest on Kris’ side of the room and started rifling through the brightly colored contents. Toy sword, toy shield, magic wand, a few other things. He’d use his actual magic in this game, but Mom yelled at him for scorching the carpet a few days ago, so he decided not to.

“Azzy!”

“Hm?” He looked up.

Kris was standing by the edge of their bed, clutching something small and red to their chest. Their eyes were enormous with excitement. A crumpled paper was in their hand. “Look! Look! Someone left horns for me! I can be like you now!”

They jammed the headband on their head. It had little red horns on it. It made Asriel smile. “Someone, huh? Is that a note?”

They nodded excitedly, thrusting it at him. “Read it to me!”

He took the paper and looked at it. He recognized the distinctive scrawl of his dad’s handwriting. Asriel adopted a deep voice, doing his best to imitate his father. “Kris, I saw this in the store and thought of you. I know you cannot grow your own horns, but maybe these are a good enough substitute. Love and kisses, Dad.”

He looked up at them. A thunderclap sounded outside, but Kris didn’t even flinch. Instead, they were bouncing on their toes with the biggest smile he’d seen from them for a while. They threw their arms around him. “Thanks, Azzy!”

“It’s not me you should thank,” he laughed, ruffling their hair. A wave of love for his little sibling rushed up in him. They were so adorable every time they got excited, even if it was sometimes annoying to him. “Let’s give Dad a big hug and kiss when he gets home, okay?”

They nodded, eyes shining. They adjusted their headband so it wasn’t quite so crooked on their head. “Does it look nice?”

Asriel grinned back and nodded. “It looks perfect.”

He reached out and adjusted it a bit more. “You’re a monster now! What kind of magic do you have? Plants? Fire? Water?”

“Dragon,” Kris said. “I can fly, and I have a long tail, and I can roar and shoot fire out of my mouth. All the dragons went ex... ex stink.” They looked at him for confirmation. Asriel gave them a thumbs up. “But I’m the last one. And I have really big wings. Big enough so you can ride on my back and not make me fall.”

“That’s awesome. Hey, you can be my loyal steed, and I can ride you into battle!”

They beamed, bouncing on their tiptoes. Thunder rolled outside again, but instead of flinching or squealing, Kris ran to the window. They roared as loud as they could at the storm. It made Asriel laugh. He joined them by the window and roared himself. “Yeah, storm! You can’t scare the great dragon Kris!”

The front door opened downstairs. Kris squealed and raced out of the room. Asriel could hear their feet pounding down the stairs. “Mom, look! Look what Dad got me!”

Asriel smiled to himself. The sounds of thunder nearly drowned out his mother’s response, but Asriel knew it was approving. It was a rare thing to see Kris quite so excited. Every time they got like that, whether it was talking about dragons or eating their favorite foods or getting a new present, it was like they gave off an aura of happiness. It couldn’t help but make him smile. Kris really was amazing.

Asriel grabbed his magic wand. After they’d finished showing off their new accessory to Mom, they’d want to keep playing, he knew. Asriel was more than happy to help. After all, the prince of the under world and the last dragon had sky kings to topple and thunderstorms to defeat. And maybe, just maybe, a pie as a reward for battle.


End file.
